


Grey Ice Water

by ramsitter



Series: You're the Good Things [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: BAMF Katara, Brief mentions/appearances of other characters, Can it be a meet-cute if everyone's in mortal danger most of the time?, Meet-Cute, Modern AU, Modern AU with Bending, Sure it can why not, Technically pre-Katara/Zuko but we get some soft moments at the end don't worry, a ship (literally) sinks, but the Zutara ship sails on in my heart forever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-26 19:45:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19012612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramsitter/pseuds/ramsitter
Summary: During one of Republic City’s worst winter storms in years, a ship in trouble and its passengers caught in the water brings Zuko to the nearby shore to aid in the rescue mission. It’s a race against time and nature to get everyone to safety before the cold has a chance to set in. Things are going as well as can be expected until the waterbender helping Zuko gets herself into trouble too.A modern AU where bending still exists. There’s still airbenders around too.





	Grey Ice Water

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me in a dream and I have been obsessively tinkering with it for weeks. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything and it was nice to work through the kinks.
> 
> Title comes from a Modest Mouse song by the same name.
> 
> I do not own any of the characters from Avatar. Also most of my attempts at medical knowledge came from Wikipedia or WebMD and should definitely not be treated as sound medical advice—leave that to the professionals!
> 
> Enjoy!

Zuko was in a bad mood.

He was running late, which was his own fault to begin with, and the snowstorm that had arrived two days earlier was still raging. The cold didn’t bother him, but not seeing the sun for three days meant he had to work a little harder to keep the tips of his toes warm while he waited for the car to warm up.

At some point during the night, he had knocked his phone off the bed, and it tumbled into some dark abyss that took him five minutes to locate. The charger had disconnected and now it was dead. He could hear his uncle’s voice spouting some wisdom about keeping the hustle and bustle of technology away from him while he was sleeping.

Zuko sighed heavily as traffic slowed to a stop in front of him. The roads had been plowed and salted, but that didn’t help anyone remember how to drive. He clicked through terrible morning radio shows waiting for his phone to spring back to life so he could listen to something he might actually enjoy, and grumbled more loudly with each press of the SCAN button.

“For Agni’s sake…” He resisted the urge to run his hands through his hair in frustration and settled for leaning the left side of his face against the steering wheel, shutting his bad eye against the cool pleather. The other eye watched optimistically for the brake lights of the car in front of him to turn off.

The station he found that he could tolerate went to commercial immediately after the song finished playing, and Zuko groaned. He swatted at the radio again.

“…developing story out of Republic City. A mid-sized ferry crossing Kuruk Bay is sinking. We have not yet heard what caused the accident to occur…” Zuko sat straight up and twisted around the look behind him. He drove past the Kuruk Bay Recreational Area parking lot every day on the way to work and had only gotten about five minutes further before the traffic in front of him deadlocked. “Officials are requesting that anyone in the vicinity that is able to bring towels or blankets to the main recreation parking lot. Please be aware of any incoming emergency vehicles and give right of way.”

Zuko had passed the bend that served as the western edge that sheltered the Bay and couldn’t see any ships, floundering or otherwise. And he certainly didn’t have any blankets in his trunk. He did have something better though.

 _Never stop so close to the vehicle in front of you that you do not have room to maneuver, Prince Zuko._ Uncle treated driving lessons with the same solemnity as lessons in morality, and always insisted on calling Zuko by his title, which he hated. The lessons paid off though. 

Zuko flicked his turn signal, checked for oncoming traffic, and whipped his car around in the tightest U-turn it could manage. As he sped back in the direction of Kuruk Bay, he could see the flashing lights of a fire truck and multiple cop cars in the rearview mirror. The road was completely blocked about a half a mile back. _Well, it’s not like I would have made it to work anytime soon anyway._

***

Zuko pulled into what he guessed might be a parking spot in the Kuruk Bay lot six minutes later. No one had bothered plowing the lot—no on in their right mind would be visiting the beach in this kind of weather—and the snow covered any demarcation lines.

As he picked his way down toward the beach, Zuko took in the scene. The ferry appeared to have a large hole gouged in the side and was taking on water quickly. Zuko had never been great at gauging distances, but it must have been— _800? 1000? more?_ —feet offshore. Far, especially in water that had tiny ice floes skimming the surface. The storm had calmed in the sense that the snow was falling lightly, but the sea was raging. Bright orange life rafts were being tossed by the waves.

A helicopter was hovering above the tossing ferry, and Zuko could see the outline of rescuers clutching at a ladder that had been lowered. The wind was blowing too fiercely for any of them to brave the little ladder. Just as he reached the beach, Zuko saw one of the figures leap from the helicopter, a swirl of air catching him and slowing the descent.

There were a few handfuls of people huddled together at the point of the beach closest to the sinking ship. People were stacking blankets and towels and even some extra coats had been produced. There were medics standing by looking grave, their eyes focused on the rafts. From down on the beach, they looked even further away and even smaller among the surf.

“Hey, we need blankets, not spectators.” The person who snapped at Zuko was clearly in charge. She was wearing a puffy black jacket with the emblem of the local hospital blazed on the side and had been shouting orders before she was distracted by Zuko’s presence.

He grimaced at her and held up a hand, not bothering to put much effort into the little flame. The boss zeroed in on the flame for half a second too long before blinking looking back at Zuko. “Sorry. People gathered some driftwood for a fire, but everything is too wet. Think you could help them get something started?”

Pleased to have a task, Zuko got to work. Most of the wood had been tossed on shore by the storm, and was water logged. Even anything that had been on the beach had been snowed on for days. “Step back,” he warned, casting an eye to the small cluster trying to get a fire started with some spark rocks.

It would not be easy to light this fire, but Zuko blasted the pile with as much heat as he could. The logs and sticks popped as the water trapped inside them melted and evaporated, causing at least one bystander to hop an extra foot back. Zuko’s focus was split between bullying the fire to catch, ignoring the whispers and sideways glances he was receiving, and anxiously watching the life rafts. Airbenders continued to leap back and forth from the helicopters—two more had arrived—but the ship was sinking fast. Some small rescue boats appeared to be trying to get close enough to the rafts to tow them closer to shore, but were having just as much trouble navigating the waters as the doomed ferry.

A rough stone wall slid up from the sand behind him, joining two more slabs in a point above his head, a strange pyramid that left everyone with a view of the ocean. The wind was still biting as it whipped into the small shelter, but Zuko could feel the temperature rising quickly as the stone accepted some of the heat his fire was putting off.

The base of the fire shifted and so did Zuko’s awareness of it. He had burned off enough of the water that it could support itself. As he turned his attention to the sea a flash of blue darted into his line of vision. The blue flash jumped over an incoming wave, landed on a solid chunk of ice that hadn’t existed moments before, and began chugging away from shore with alarming speed. The color resolved itself into a girl, dark hair whipping in the wind as she bent the ice platform out to sea.

Zuko stepped out of the warmth of the earth tent. He felt itchy all over, he needed to help, he needed to do _something_. Someone grabbed his arm roughly as he stepped closer to the water, a wave caressing the toe of his boot.

“You can’t go in there.” It was the Boss, and she looked rattled.

The itchiness was becoming unbearable. _How long have I been on the beach? When did I hear the announcement on the radio? Are there people in the water? Or are they all on the rafts?_ Zuko raised an eyebrow. “You planning on stopping me?”

She frowned. “That water is freezing. It only takes fifteen minutes for hypothermia to set it at those temperatures.”

Zuko sighed, letting a puff of flame escape. “I’ll be fine.” 

“The firebenders in our dive squad say it’s too dangerous to get in this water right now. The rafts are okay at the moment so we’re waiting for backup.”

“You need better firebenders on your dive squad.” As they watched, one of the rafts was swamped by a huge rouge wave. It struggled to recover and seemed to be taking on water. “And the rafts don’t look fine to me.” Zuko unzipped his coat and tossed it at her. It wasn’t particularly heavy especially given the weather, but it was better than any of the wet clothing the passengers would arrive with.

The raft that had toppled was only a few hundred feet from shore now. Zuko trudged into the surf and gasped from the shock of it, despite his previous assurances. He took deep breaths, closing his eyes for a few seconds to focus, just the way Uncle had taught him all those years ago. He felt the fire stir in his belly and warmth rushed through him as he exhaled.

Zuko dove into an incoming wave and came out on the other side gasping for breath. The warmth receded from his fingers and toes and he forced himself to _breathe, just breathe_. Another wave caused him to duck his head. _Breathe, kick, breathe, duck_. Zuko was an excellent swimmer, and found the rhythm of breathing and swimming and holding his breath and staying warm fairly quickly. 

It was hard to see where he was going with the waves tossing around and the salt stinging his eyes was making it worse. Past the breaking waves, the swells were bigger but did not threaten to crash down on his head. He paused to tread water, allowing the next swell to lift him.

The raft in danger was close, and seemed better off than it had previously. The waterbender was using tendrils of water to pluck people from the sea and place them back in the raft, all while zooming around on her iceberg searching for more.

Zuko began to swim toward a floundering person nearby. The life jacket was keeping him afloat but only just. The waterbender noticed them just after Zuko hooked an arm under the man’s shoulders. The sensation of being lifted, cradled by nothing but the cold dark waters was briefly overwhelming, and then Zuko found himself in the life raft, one arm still wrapped around the man.

The raft was large and held maybe twenty-five people. A corner of it was encased in ice, presumably the waterbender had frozen a patch to keep it afloat. Everyone has soaked, and shivering, but seemed alert.

“Where’s your life jacket?” It was the waterbender girl, hovering on her iceberg. Her eyes flicked anxiously between Zuko and the other rafts. They continued to be thrown around in the surf.

Zuko shook his head. “I came from shore!” He had to shout to be heard over the wind. A slightly shocked expression crossed her face. He lifted a small fire in his palm again, and the shock was replaced by relief. “I’ll get this boat back.”

The waterbender nodded once and lifted her arms again. Zuko expected her to push herself away, but found the raft rising up on an unnatural wave instead. It shuttled them half the distance to shore. 

Zuko looked around the raft. There was nothing to light on fire, and he didn’t want to risk melting the patch of ice holding the raft together. These people needed to get to shore. Other people could help them get warm, if he could get them to shore. He tied a piece of rope around his waist and dove back into the water.

As he swam, Zuko marveled not for the first time at the ease of moving things that could float. He had spent many childhood summers on a boat before things got bad. It had always fascinated him that he could push the boat away from the dock with limited effort, but to try the same thing all on dry land would be an exercise in futility. The same was true for the raft tied behind him: the waves were pushing it to shore for the most part and Zuko was guiding it along a particular path.

The passing of time had not registered since Zuko had parked his car. It felt like only short minutes past from the time the waterbender pushed them toward shore and his feet scraped sand. As soon as he stood, the rescue divers in their wetsuits helped pull the raft up onto the snow-covered sand.

Rather than fumble with the knot, Zuko burned through the rope tied across his waist and turned to help unload the raft. The crowd on the beach had gotten significantly larger while he was in the water, and news vans lined the tops of the bluffs.

The Boss Lady was ushering people into earthen tents, which had also multiplied in number. “Strip everyone down and get them dry! Blankets, coats!” Most of the rescued seemed dazed and shivered violently but were capable of walking to the tents with limited assistance.

“She’s trying to hold back the ocean.” The awestruck whisper came from one of the onlookers. Zuko twisted around to see that the swells had somehow gotten even more violent. The three remaining life rafts were slowly moving closer but were being pummeled by waves cutting diagonally across the normal track of the surf. The ferry was more underwater than above. Helicopter evacuations from the top decks were continuing.

The waterbender girl was halfway between the ferry and the rafts. One hand was stretched out away from the rafts, while the other waved wildly. The sea, despite all logic, began to settle. The life rafts were getting closer, carried by much more gentle swells.

Zuko felt his mouth drop open. Someone swore. The water she was holding back was beginning to build as if it had hit a wall it desperately wanted to breach. The pushing right arm stopped moving and the boats’ movement slowed to nothing but momentum. The closest was no further than the first Zuko had swam to. He stepped back into the now calm ocean, eyes locked on waterbender on her island. She had both hands pointed directly at the wall of water, pressing against the wall she had created to support it. 

Zuko swam as hard as he could for the closest raft. As soon as he was in shouting distance, he called out to them. “Tie yourselves to the other raft! Get all three connected!” He could feel the effect of the waterbender slipping in the waves that were returning. It was a miracle she had been able to hold on for as long as she had. 

Zuko hauled himself up onto the raft. It was a bit bigger than the first, with maybe thirty people crowded on. This group about as bad as the first. Everyone was huddled as close to the center of the raft as possible, sharing body heat and avoiding the sea as much as possible. Even with the waves under the waterbender’s control, the wind was spraying consistently. Previous waves had dumped water over the sides of the raft, and everyone was thoroughly soaked.

He was pleased to see that they had managed to get the rafts together. Zuko suspected that the waterbender had pushed them close together so she could move them all at once. He turned to look to the girl, and was startled to see her looking back. They were a few hundred feet apart, but Zuko felt their eyes lock. She had sunk down onto one knee, braced against the iceberg as she held back the sea. 

Somehow, Zuko understood what she was trying to tell him. He nodded and raised his voice to be heard above the wind. “Everyone hold on to something!” The passengers followed orders slowly, clearly dazed, but still followed. Zuko reached down to grab the handhold attached to the wall of the raft just as the waterbender released the sea.

She sent a controlled wave directly for the rafts, the volume of water lifting them high above the beach. They were propelled toward the shore with ease. The full amount of water she had built up would swamp the beach and the rescue effort gathering there. Just as Zuko worried that she hadn’t thought that far ahead, she swept her arms to the left. 

The majority of the water she had held back raced for the rocky cliffs that acted as the western shelter of Kuruk Bay. It crashed into the cliffs mightily, creating a huge cloud of sea spray and even hitting the top of the cliff. The water rushed back to the normal level and created a diagonal wave that rocked the rafts.

The rafts were nearly to the shore. The regular rhythm of the ocean was beginning to return, and the raft in the back was being pounded by breaking waves. The one closest to the beach was nearly to the point that it could be dragged in by the rescuers.

Zuko stood, raced along the edge of the raft, and dove back into the freezing ocean. He could feel himself flagging as he closed in on the third raft. Despite the heat he was circulating, the cold was creeping into his muscles and making them stiff.

The third raft was lagging behind because it was overloaded with people. The extra weight had it sitting lower in the water than the others and made it more susceptible to the swells threatening to drag it down altogether. Zuko didn’t want to add any extra weight but pulled himself halfway up to check on the passengers.

This group was in significantly worse shape than the other two rafts he had been on. Five inches of water were trapped in the raft and there was nowhere to go to escape the cold. There still wasn’t anything to light on fire, so Zuko reached his hands into the standing water and diverted all of the heat he could to his palms.

The temperature of the ocean hit his legs like a truck the instant he deprived them of his inner fire. A few of the passengers looked at him in awe as the water in the raft began to heat up. They sunk frozen hands into it and sighed, they whispered thanks to whoever they prayed to, they let out sobs of relief. Zuko couldn’t tell how hot the water was becoming and didn’t want to swing the temperatures too quickly in case that was bad for the passengers. The water was well above freezing at least. They needed to get back to shore to get dry, but he hoped that the heat would help. Some of the older passengers were looking especially bad.

With one more pulse of heat to his hands, Zuko took a deep breath and settled back into his breathing routine. Heat flooded back to his toes and he could have sighed if he had time. The first raft had been fully unloaded, and the second was being dragged onto shore. He looked around for the waterbender—she was still fighting with the aftereffects of holding back the sea—before wrapping the rope that connected this raft to the others around one hand. He pulled himself hand over hand along the length of the rope.

Zuko was relieved when his toes brushed against sand. The raft was being hauled in by a group on shore and he allowed himself to rest for a moment. He helped drag the raft up onto the beach but left the unloading to others. 

There were paramedics swarming the passengers being unloaded, shouting back and forth and waving their arms. Zuko tuned them out and noticed the Boss lady counting anxiously a few steps away.

“We’ve got 108 here on the beach,” she told a walkie-talkie. There was a squawk as someone replied, but it too full of feedback for Zuko to pick out any words. The Boss frowned deeply. “I’ll count again.” She waved two of her team members over. “How many did you count on the last raft?”

“Thirty-two.” The reply was simultaneous and caused the Boss to frown even harder. 

“Air rescue got 26 from the ferry. Total passenger count including crew was 142.” She ran a hand through her hair and looked around at the bustling activity. “We’re missing 8.”

Zuko’s stomach dropped. He hadn’t seen anyone in the water out of the rafts. _The waterbender would have seen them too, right? We couldn’t have both missed them_. Thinking of her manifested her on the beach a few steps to Zuko’s right.

“What?” She was staring at Boss lady with a look of panic.

“We’re missing 8.” Boss said in the waterbender’s direction before focusing back in on her team. “They were probably trapped on the lower levels of the ferry.” Everyone turned as one. The very upper deck of the ferry was still above the surface, but not by much. Two rescue helicopters still hovered, hoping to spot movement.

The waterbender made a soft sound. “No.” It was not much more than a whisper, but it somehow filtered over to Zuko. He watched her spin on her heel and take off again, his reflexes have a second too slow to catch her.

“Hey!” Boss called after her. “There’s nothing left to do!” Her voice trailed off at the end. The waterbender was already on her iceberg and moving quickly away. She sighed and turned away to help with the ongoing efforts with the passengers who had made it back to the beach before hesitating and looking at Zuko. “Keep an eye on her.”

Zuko met her gaze and saw the spark of recognition in her eyes for the first time. He nodded quickly and turned away. The waterbender was going to get herself killed. Zuko still couldn’t believe how long she had held the sea at bay—and in the middle of a winter storm no less. But this was a fool’s errand and everyone on the beach seemed to know it.

The waterbender was halfway to the ferry when her movement slowed. Zuko’s mouth dropped open in shock as the ferry rose up out of the water, great shards of ice forming a cradle in which it rested. He had never seen bending like this before. Not even from Azula. 

The cause of all the trouble was a great hole toward the front of the ferry, now visible and draining water. The helicopters moved in close and airbenders began leaping out once again. Zuko had no idea if there would be any people to find, or if they had enough time to make a difference, but he hoped desperately that they would be successful.

The figure on the iceberg collapsed. A strange noise escaped Zuko. If he had known her name, he would have shouted it. He waited two seconds to see if she would stir, but there was no movement. 

He released a string of curses as he plunged once more— _please let this be the last time_ —into the icy surf. Zuko couldn’t see the girl, couldn’t see her iceberg. The ocean spirit was in a particularly terrible mood, but Zuko hoped that it would protect one of it’s chosen benders. At least for a few more minutes.

She had been maybe 500 feet offshore when she collapsed. Zuko knew that his pace for distance was maybe 3 minutes. In a lap pool. With no waves. Heated to a comfortable temperature. He wished that one of the airbenders on the helicopter could get to her, but it seemed that they had leapt for the ferry before anyone noticed the waterbender who had made it all possible.

Zuko forced himself to focus on his breathing. He didn’t really believe in the Spirits, but he thought a quick prayer to Agni asking for strength, and another to La to protect the waterbender. 

There was nothing in the world except the water and Zuko and somewhere out there, the waterbender. Occasionally the waves parted enough to give him a glimpse of the iceberg, of the flash of blue that was her coat. He was no longer aware of the passing of time. Despite the rushing wind and the pounding sea, all he could hear was the rhythm of his own breathing, keeping him alive. Because if he wasn’t alive, he couldn’t save her.

 _There she was._ The waterbender had collapsed onto her side, or maybe was tossed there by a particularly strong wave. The lower half of one leg dangled in the water. As he got closed, a wave struck the iceberg once more, drenching the girl. She didn’t stir.

Zuko weighed his options. Should he climb on top of the iceberg and signal to the helicopters and hope someone noticed? The Boss back on shore had a radio and had clearly been in contact with them. She would have sent them, if they could come, right? There must be a reason they hadn’t.

The cold was creeping in and tightening his muscles, and Zuko had been circulating heat as consistently as he could the entire time. The waterbender had been in the wind and the water and had been bending with so much strength and power that it almost began to defy logic. But she couldn’t protect herself from this type of cold, especially while unconscious.

The decision seemed pretty obvious to Zuko when he thought about it that way. He needed to get her to someone who could help as quickly as possible. And the helicopters were clearly not an option.

He threw his arms up on the iceberg for a few seconds, sucking in deep breaths. The waterbender was breathing, but her pulse felt slow. Beneath the dark tan of her Water Tribe skin, she was extremely pale.

Zuko was not a rescue swimmer. He was not a professional. He should not have been there. But no one else was there, so he hooked one arm under the waterbender’s arms and held her against his side as much as possible. She felt as cold as the iceberg had. He kicked and swam with the free arm.

The waterbender’s huge blue parka was well suited to protect from the wind, but not so much for swimming. The weight of it threatened to drag them both down when a rogue wave hit Zuko from behind. He wasted some of the precious time between waves to swear.

Some health class or YouTube video or TV show was buried in the back of his mind, telling him that you should leave your clothes on until you are out of the water because it helped insulate against the water. _Won’t matter if we’re dead_ , Zuko argued with the advice. 

He flopped over onto his back, trying to float and hold the waterbender at the same time. Her head desperately wanted to flop into the water, and it was a continuous effort not to let that happen. Zuko managed the find the zipper and discarded the parka into the ocean. It sunk happily.

Zuko tried to focus the majority of his heat to his torso and the hand that was pressed against the waterbender’s side. The shock of the cold water against his legs made him gasp, and the carefully cultivated rhythm that stoked his inner fire disintegrated. The cold pressed the advantage.

He kept swimming. Shore seemed far but was getting closer. He closed his eyes and tried to find the fire again. It was waterlogged but flickering. When it flared back to life, Zuko attributed the success to nothing but pure stubbornness on his part.

He could feel the waterbender’s heartbeat, her breathing. It was weak, but it was present. Zuko hoped that the small amount of heat he could spare would keep her stable. They were going to make it to shore. They were close now. _We’re going to make it_ became the mantra, repeated in time with each breath.

Hands grabbed his arm, tugging him closer. He felt sand beneath him and scraped his toe just barely. People from shore had come to help. They reached for the waterbender, but he only turned and held her more completely in both arms. “I’ve got her.” He didn’t realize he said it until he had repeated it a handful of times. “I’ve got her.” He allowed the people from the beach to drag them from the ocean, to catch him when he stumbled, to guide him in the right direction. But he did not allow them to take the waterbender.

The Boss was waving her arms wildly and yelling something over her shoulder. A pair of EMTs appeared, beelining for Zuko. There was an ambulance waiting at the edge of the access road, the back doors wide open. 

The two EMTs and the Boss appeared at Zuko’s shoulders, ushering him along faster. “How long has she been in the water?” One asked, walking backwards in front of Zuko to look at the waterbender.

“She’s been out there for about forty minutes, but she might have been shielding herself for the majority of that. She’s been unconscious for twelve minutes.” The Boss paused. “Shouldn’t you guys be carrying her?”

The EMT in front of Zuko shook her head but flickered her gaze to him briefly. “When it comes to hypothermia, limiting the amount of movement is best. It would be too much jostling at this point.” She lifted an eyebrow at Zuko. “Unless you need us to carry her?”

“I’ve got her.” Water was steaming off his skin and clothes, leaving behind a layer of salt.

The EMT touched Zuko’s hand where it was curled around the waterbender’s shoulder. “Not too hot, or else it might shock her system and do more damage.”

Zuko blinked in surprise and recalled some of the heat from his hands and sending it instead to the frozen tip of his nose and his toes. 

“Better,” the EMT smiled tightly. Her partner jogged ahead and threw himself into the back of the ambulance, prepping the space. When they approached, she put a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “Okay, I’m going to need you to pass her up to Raiko now.”

Zuko’s brain wasn’t quite working properly. Her tone definitely should have made him at least _want_ to snap at her. Instead he looked to her for reassurance. At her nod, he handed the waterbender up to the second EMT as gently as he could. He turned and placed her on the gurney.

“I’m coming too.” He hadn’t planned on saying that, but once it was out of his mouth, he knew it was true. He couldn’t just let the waterbender disappear without knowing that she was okay.

The EMT bit her lip and hesitated, glancing in the back where her partner was hunched over the waterbender. 

“He should probably go to the hospital too,” the Boss said gently. “He’s been in the water this whole time too.”

The EMT nodded, a small smile crossing her features. “Alright, hop on up. We need to get going.”

Zuko paused on the step and looked back at the Boss. “Everyone else is already on the way to the hospital?”

The Boss nodded. “You’re the last two.”

“And the eight that were missing?”

“The crews have found seven. They’re in rough shape but headed for the hospital. They’re still looking for the last.”

Zuko frowned but nodded and climbed the rest of the way into the ambulance. The EMT slammed the door behind him and hopped into the driver’s seat a moment later. It would be nothing short of a miracle if they managed to recover all the passengers, and an even bigger miracle if they all lived. Zuko sent up another little prayer to the Spirits.

“Sit there,” the second EMT, Raiko instructed without turning to look at Zuko. He jabbed a finger at the fold-down seat against the wall.

Zuko sat. “Is she going to be okay?” The ambulance had started to move, climbing the access road up the cliffs slowly. 

A piece of fabric plopped to the floor next to the EMT. It was part of the pair of jeans the waterbender had been wearing. Her boots and socks had already been kicked to a corner. The sound of scissors stopped, and a second patch of fabric joined the rest.

“She’ll be okay.” The answer came only after the pile grew and a thick blanket was pulled up over the waterbender. “Between the wind and water and the sweat from all the bending she was doing, it could have been a lot worse.”

The EMT shifted slightly and Zuko could see that he had hooked her up to an IV already and was wrapping more blankets around her head and body. “Is there anything I can do?” 

The EMT laughed, one sharp bark. “I’m sweating from all the heat you’re pumping out, so you’re doing fine.” He turned to look at Zuko and his face softened a little. “Her temperature’s at about 85, which is not great, but it’s not as low as it would have been without you keeping her warm during that swim. You start looking at serious risk for cardiac arrest around 82. There’s a good chance you saved her life.”

Zuko let out a shaky breath. He knew it was dangerous in water that cold, but he hadn’t really stopped to consider just how dangerous it really was. He leaned his head back against the wall of the ambulance—the siren had kicked on a minute ago and he could sense that they were moving quickly. The ambulance held the heat nicely and he finally felt comfortable. He was asleep before his eyes were fully shut.

***

Katara felt like she’d been hit by a bus. Every part of her body, including her eyelids, felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds. She could feel the weight of blankets around her but was still cold. She could hear movement, but it was muffled by distance. She slowly became aware of a prick in her arm. The unmistakable smell of _hospital_ hit her nose.

She wanted to open her eyes but didn’t have the strength. From somewhere on her left side, Katara could hear someone breathing softly, not quite snoring but definitely asleep. She must have a roommate.

Katara opened her eyes. She was propped up slightly in the hospital bed. There was an IV stuck in her right arm, the tubing snaking out from the blankets piled on top of her. She rolled her head to left and surprise shocked her to full awareness.

It wasn’t another patient in the room. A young man was slung across the chairs they left in rooms like this for visitors, sleeping soundly. His long legs were thrown over the arm of one chair and rested on its neighbor, his body scrunched up so that he could lean his head against the back of the chair. His hair was dark and a little shaggy brushing down across his cheek.

Something about him was familiar. But Katara had no idea who he was or why he was sitting in her hospital room. 

She tried to push herself into a more upright position. The rustling of the blankets and her slight huff of breath startled her guest awake. His legs came down off the chair and he rose to his feet in a single graceful movement. “You’re awake!”

“You’re the firebender from the beach.” Katara hadn’t been paying attention to individual people as she tried to pluck them from the water after the first life raft tipped over, only sensing their humanness in the sea of water. But with him standing next to her bed now, there was no doubt that this was the same man who had thrown himself into the icy water to help her save those passengers. The unlikely gold of his eyes and the scar across the left one left no room for doubt. “You should be dead.”

He blinked and sat down a bit roughly, skootching the chair a few inches closer to her. “So should you, probably.”

She gave him a wry smile but shook her head. “Being in the water that long should have killed you, firebender or no.”

He raised his eyebrows and Katara found herself slightly fascinated by the way the expression translated even with only one eyebrow intact. He ducked his head a little when he saw her glance flicker to the scar, and she immediately regretted it. “And yet,” he gestured vaguely toward himself, “here I am.” 

The little smile that threatened to quirk the corner of his mouth turned into a huff of a laugh when Katara narrowed her eyes at him. “With enough practice and patience, firebenders can control their inner fire to keep warm, even in…less than ideal conditions.”

Katara had never known anyone who could do that, or if it was even possible. But something about him seemed genuine, and she was impressed by the amount of control it would have taken to keep up that type of precision bending for so long. She nodded her understanding.

“Oh, I’m Katara, by the way.” She dug her hands out from the mound of blankets to shake his, but her right hand caught on the length of IV tubing. He took her offered left hand awkwardly and shook it gently. He felt like a furnace.

“Zuko.” He jumped to his feet again then, one hand rubbing the back of his neck while he looked around the room. “Um, the nurse told me to call when you woke up.” He leaned over and pressed the little call button next to her bed. They both jumped at the beep it emitted.

Katara watched Zuko with some amusement. He couldn’t seem to decide if he wanted to stay standing or sit back down, and the indecision was worse than either of the other options. 

He settled back into the chair as a nurse bustled into the room. She beamed a smile at Katara. “You’re awake!” She pressed the back of her palm gently to Katara’s forehead, and then gently squeezed each of her hands. “My name is On Ji. How are you feeling?”

Katara took a moment to assess herself. “Exhausted,” was the only honest answer she could come up with. She felt more liquid than solid, as if she had melted into the hospital bed and would never reform again.

The nurse smiled again. “I’d imagine so, sweetheart!” She glanced at the screen keeping track of Katara’s heartbeat and other vitals. “Your temperature is back up to about normal, which is great news. Are you feeling cold?”

 _Back up to normal_ caused a twinge of concern to flicker through Katara’s mind. That didn’t sound good. “A bit cold, yes,” she said, feeling a little sheepish for no reason. 

“That compress down by your toes probably needs reheated,” On Ji said while digging through the layers of blanket piled on top of Katara. “I’ll run and do that and then we’ll needed to get some info so we can access your medical records. We’ve still got you as a Li Si on all the charts.”

 _Sweet Tui above_ , Katara thought. Her phone and wallet were back in her car at the beach parking lot. Sokka had probably called 50 times. “I’ll need a phone too, to call my brother.”

“Of course! I’ll grab one for you.” She had fished the compressor—it looked a lot like the beanbags Katara used to help with cramps and other aches—from under the blanket. She was turning to go when Zuko muttered, “I can heat it. Just let me know how hot.”

On Ji’s head tipped to the side, but she passed it over to him and picked up the tablet stuck in a holder at the foot of Katara’s bed. She kept one hand on the beanbag. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Katara Nutaraq,” she answered, spelling both. She listed off her birthday and the answers to a few other questions. On Ji interrupted her in the middle of one answer to stop Zuko and take the beanbag bag. Katara smiled widely at Zuko when the warmth hit her toes once more. His returning smile was shy and a little crooked.

“That should do it for now! I’ll be right back with that phone.” On Ji slid the tablet back into place.

“Wait, um, On Ji. You said my temperature was ‘back up to normal’. What was it before?”

On Ji leaned her hands on the railing at the foot of Katara’s bed. “The EMT got a reading of 85 when he got you in the ambulance. Mostly all we can do it give you warm IV fluids and lots and lots of blankets. You’re back up to 97 now, which the low end of normal.”

“Wow,” Katara whispered. She was from the South Pole, where frostbite and hypothermia and cold were always a danger. For her body temperature to have dropped that low was dangerous, close to the potential for more serious side effects. “Okay, thanks, On Ji.” She deflated back against the pillows again.

The nurse smiled again, checked Katara’s IV bag, and bustled out of the room.

“How—” “That—” Katara laughed and Zuko blushed a little. He gestured for her to go first. “How did you find my room? And what happened at the beach?”

The blush grew deeper and his hand swiped through his hair before coming to rest at the back of his neck. A thoughtful noise hummed in his throat. “You pushed the ferry up out of the water and then collapsed onto that iceberg you made.” Zuko met her gaze directly, leaning forward slightly. “That was the most incredible bending I’ve ever seen.”

Now it was Katara’s turn to blush. She shook her head slightly. “I was just doing what I could to help. Waterbenders are rare so most people are surprised by me.”

Zuko shook his head back at her. “I’ve trained with many of the best firebenders in the world and I’ve never seen them do anything what you did today. I can only think of one other person I’ve seen do something like that.”

Katara opened her mouth but wasn’t sure what to say. “Thank you,” eventually came out softly.

He shook his head again, this time in what looked like disbelief. He let the conversation drop. “You collapsed. The air rescuers were all down on the ship searching and didn’t see you fall. So I swam out and brought you back to the beach.”

Shock passed over Katara in a wave. He’d saved her. He survived the water by keeping himself warm, and he’d saved her the same way. She could feel tears pricking at the back of her eyes.

“I found your room because I came in the ambulance with you. They checked me out and made me drink a bunch of water and then I fell asleep here. I wanted to make sure you’d be okay.” Zuko finished the sentence softly, looking away toward the empty doorway.

“Thank you, Zuko.” She was too spent to truly cry but the emotion clogged her throat. Zuko looked up in surprise. “You saved me. Thank you.” She would have hugged him if she weren’t stuck in bed.

“You saved all those people. I was just doing what I could to help.” His smile was soft as he threw her words back at her, and Katara couldn’t help but smile in return.

Katara broke her gaze from Zuko’s when On Ji returned. She took the offered phone and sighed softly, mentally preparing for the conversation she was about to have.

Zuko stood. “I’ll give you some privacy.” His hand hovered over the place where her arm was covered up for a half second before pressing down on it lightly. “Do you have a phone I could use too, On Ji? I left mine back at the beach and need to call my uncle.”

Katara watched them leave, warmth blooming in her chest for a moment. She looked back at the phone and sighed again. She dialed Sokka’s number. He picked up on the first ring. 

“Hello!” It was more of a demand than a greeting.

“Sokka.” Katara moved the phone so that the speaker was further from her ear.

“KATARA!” Despite the added distance, Katara cringed at the volume. “Suki! It’s Katara! Katara! I’m putting you on speaker. Suki is here too! Are you okay! I saw you on TV. With the boat. That was you, right. What happened. Why aren’t you answering your phone. Whose phone is this.”

Katara could hear Suki unsuccessfully trying to shush him and was grateful for not the first time that her sister-in-law was such a good ally in the fight against Sokka’s…Sokka-ness. “Sokka. One question at a time please.” She ignored the frustrated noise he made. “The important thing is that I’m okay. It was me with the boat. I’m at the hospital now getting some treatment from the cold, but I’m okay, I swear.”

“We can be there by this evening if we leave right now. Suki! Start packing!”

“Sokka, Sokka, calm down! You don’t need to rush here or anything, I’m really okay. They’ll probably let me go home soon anyways.” She heard Sokka take a breath to argue but was well versed in arguments like this. “Besides, they probably won’t have any small ships coming into any of the harbors after what happened today. I don’t want you putting yourselves in any danger—especially Suki.”

Katara had pulled out the easiest trump card of all—don’t endanger your pregnant wife—and knew that she had won the second she said it. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Sokka. But she didn’t need his anxious, overprotective hovering. She was fine. Suki needed him more, and the warmer climate of Kyoshi Island was a comfort to her.

“Fine.” He huffed a sigh and repeated, “fine. Okay. You swear you’re okay?”

“You can talk to my nurse when she comes back if you don’t believe me.”

“That would be great actu—ow!” 

Katara’s laugh joined in with Suki’s. “Thank you for that, Suki.” Even eight months pregnant, she could kick Sokka’s ass and wasn’t afraid to throw an elbow to get what she wanted. “I left my phone in my car at the beach so I’m borrowing this one from my nurse. I’ll let you know when I get back to my phone but don’t worry if it’s not for a little while. I’ll call you again tonight no matter what.”

“That sounds like a good plan, Katara. Take it easy and let us know if there’s anything we can do from here. And if you need us, you know we’ll be there right away!”

“I know. Do you think you guys could call Aang for me and let him know I’m alright? He probably saw the news too and would be trying to reach me. Make sure you tell him not to skip any classes to come see me or I’ll be mad.” 

“You got it, sis.” “We love you Katara, get some rest!”

“I love you guys too. We’ll talk later tonight.” Katara hung up and rested her head against the pillow, smiling softly. She drifted off.

***

Loud sounds in the hallway woke Katara up from a light sleep. The phone she had borrowed was still in her hand and a click of the power button showed that ten minutes had passed since her phone call had ended. Despite the very short nap, she was feeling better than when she had first awoken.

The hallway sounds were indistinct rumblings that suggested a crowd that seemed to be getting closer. From her vantage point, all Katara could see was the plain wall directly across from her door. She jumped at the sound of doors slamming somewhere nearby. The rumbling grew quiet. 

Katara could hear movement coming toward her room, but a much smaller number of people than had been in the hallway previously. A heavy sigh reached her.

“Uncle, is this really necessary?” The rough scratch belonged to Zuko. He wasn’t far from her door.

His question was met with a good-natured chuckle. “Of course it’s necessary! She is a hero. And besides, I just happened to be in the neighborhood.” The man was older and sounded like he said everything with a smile. The word ‘hero’ made Katara squirm though.

Zuko groaned. “She doesn’t need this; she needs to rest.”

“Her nurse and doctor both assured me that she is doing quite well and would be fine to have a visitor.” After a short pause, the older man tsked. “No buts. What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know.” Zuko’s reply was so soft that Katara couldn’t be sure if she’d heard it correctly. A moment later his voice returned to a louder volume. “Let’s get this over with already then.”

Katara had a brief moment of panic where she wondered if she should pretend to be asleep instead of just trying to look like she hadn’t overheard the conversation. She hadn’t decided by the time they appeared in her doorway.

The older man was short and round, with a pointy beard and kind eyes. Katara recognized him immediately but had never imagined finding herself in this position and therefore had no idea how to react. He saved her by knocking gently on the doorframe. “May we join you?”

Katara opened her mouth to reply but found that it had fallen open without her permission. She closed it, swallowed, and tried again. “I—yes, of course, please.” She tried to gesture to the room but caught her IV tubing again, wincing at both the jolt of pain and her own embarrassment. “Erm, Your Highness, sorry.”

General Iroh smiled and waved away the title and entered. Zuko stood head and shoulder above him, half a step behind, looking distressed.

As they made their way around her bed to the chairs Zuko had slept across— _chairs Zuko had slept across, oh Spirits_ —Katara snuck a peek at him. With the knowledge now available to her, she was shocked to realize that he looked like his father. Katara had been very young when the news reports had covered Ozai’s attacks on the Air Nomads and subsequent breakdown of the Fire Nation government, but she had seen his photo in textbooks and various news reports in all the years that followed. 

Katara had known he had a son—everyone did, he played such a key role in his father’s downfall—but General Iroh had worked hard to scrub record of the boy in an effort to protect him. Katara had heard about the scar, but hearing and seeing were different. And here was this lost Prince, diving into icy water to save her life and sleeping in her hospital room to make sure she was safe.

Katara briefly wondered if this was some sort of dream brought on by the hypothermia, or maybe she had died in the water after all. Either option made more sense. 

General Iroh dropped himself into the closer chair. Zuko managed to make himself look three times smaller scrunched in the second chair. He ducked his head so that Katara couldn’t see his face.

Something about his unwillingness to bring his uncle to her room and this withdrawn boy, so different than the man of shy smiles and subtle jokes from earlier made Katara’s heart break. She pulled her eyes from him when General Iroh laid a hand gently on her arm.

“Master Katara.” He smiled at Katara’s surprise that he knew her name. “My nephew told me your name, and I admit to having done some research about your potential identity even before I spoke to him.” His smile turned sadder. “There are so few Master waterbenders left. I have learned many things from those that I have been acquainted with and I like to keep tabs on others in case they have anything new to teach me.” He winked and Katara found herself smiling despite her nerves.

“First, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your actions today. You displayed an incredible amount of courage and selflessness and brought about a vast amount of good as a result. At great personal risk as well. And from what my nephew tells me and what I’ve seen, there is probably a lot that you can teach an old firebender like me.”

Zuko made a soft sound that drew both of their attentions to him. “I am not sure there is a comparison to holding the ocean itself in check, Uncle.” He grinned slightly at Katara when his uncle hummed thoughtfully, acknowledging the truth. 

Katara felt herself blushing under the praise as General Iroh’s attention turned back to her. “I just did what I could to help. Anyone else would have done the same.”

General Iroh smiled again, but this one seemed to be more for himself than it was for Katara. “Perhaps, but that does not mean we should be any less grateful for your efforts. I am so very pleased to hear that you are doing well. I was watching the news and saw you collapse. We were all very worried.”

“My safety is all thanks to Zuko.” She fought another wince at the casual address— _he’s a La’s blasted prince, Katara!_ —before smiling softly at him. “If you are craving anything weird from the Water Tribes or Kyoshi Island, my brother would definitely be willing to offer it as payment for saving my life.”

“No payment necessary.” The soft smile was back on Zuko’s face and Katara couldn’t tell what made her heart ache more—the sight of it or when he was hiding it.

Katara felt General Iroh’s gaze slide from her to his nephew and caught the older man smiling at Zuko. He looked back at her and asked, “Is your brother on his way here?”

Katara felt her face pull down in a slight frown. “No. He and his wife winter on Kyoshi Island—that’s where she’s from. She’s far on in her pregnancy and I don’t want them travelling if they can avoid it. Especially in this weather.”

“I can take you to pick up your car if you need a ride.” A blush rose of the column of Zuko’s neck. “Unless you’ve got other people coming to get you.” 

General Iroh beamed in Katara’s peripheral vision. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to trouble you. I can Uber or whatever I’m sure.”

“It’s really no trouble at all.”

Katara bit her lip and pretended to hesitate for a moment longer. “Well, if you insist, I’d really appreciate it.” This time, Zuko’s smile held nothing back and it nearly knocked the wind out of her. Katara sent a silent prayer to the Spirits that her heart rate monitor wasn’t beeping audibly because she probably would have died of mortification if they’d been able to hear her heart stutter. Over a single smile.

General Iroh patted Katara’s hand once more and stood. “I will head out now and hopefully draw some of the media with me. It was a pleasure to meet you, Master Katara, and it would be an honor to see you again someday. Do let me know if you need anything during your recovery.” He paused to smile broadly. “Or after.”

Katara attempted a very sloppy bow, which would have been sloppy even standing up and was made significantly worse by being confined to a hospital bed. “Thank you, Your Highness, the honor is all mine.”

“Oh please, call me Iroh. Or Uncle.” He chuckled when Zuko groaned softly.

“You can’t tell everyone to call you Uncle, Uncle.” He ran a hand through his hair. A piece got stuck up at an odd angle and Iroh reached out to smooth it down. Zuko narrowed his eyes in a way that made him look like a child. The actions endeared them both to Katara even more.

“Of course not, I only tell the people I like.” Iroh winked at Katara, bowed his head toward her before turning to Zuko. “Will you be joining me for dinner Saturday, Prince Zuko?”

A scowl twisted Zuko’s face at the title for a second, but then his expression smoothed, and he nodded. “Of course. I will see you then, Uncle.”

Iroh wrapped his shoulders around Zuko for the briefest moment. “Be safe. I am so proud of you.” He disappeared out of the room with one last smile at Katara.

The second his uncle turned the corner, Zuko let out a huge breath and slunk down in his chair, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling. “I’m sorry. He’s a strange old man, but he means well.”

Katara laughed. Zuko rotated his head slightly to open one eye to look at her. “He’s very kind.” She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at Zuko. “So. Do I have to call you by some title or something fancy.” She waved her hand in an effort to make the question nonchalant.

Zuko groaned and scrubbed at his hair again. “This is why I didn’t want him to come,” he muttered mostly to himself before sitting up and looking more directly at Katara. “No. You can call me Zuko.” He huffed out a breath. “The Fire Nation titles are all bullshit now anyways so it shouldn’t matter but for some reason people act like it does but whatever.”

“I hear you loud and clear,” she told him with a smirk. “Your Most Royal Highness, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.”

Zuko growled but fought a smirk while he did it. “Watch that tone, peasant.”

Katara laughed outright. The gold of Zuko’s eyes sparkled even beneath the buzzing fluorescent lights. They locked on to hers and the smirk he’d been fighting escaped. His eyes jumped behind her a second later, and Katara turned to see On Ji in the doorway.

“Miss Nutaraq, you’re all cleared to go. I just have a few discharge instructions to go over and then you can be on your way.”

Zuko stood and muttered, “I’ll be back in a minute.” 

On Ji stared after Zuko as he went and visibly shook herself before moving to Katara’s bedside. She worked on disconnecting the IV from Katara’s hand and let out a soft breath. “What a day. The Fire Lord!”

Katara laughed. “You have no idea.” On Ji helped Katara remove the blankets and sit up fully. “What happened to my clothes?” She slipped her feet into a pair of lightweight slippers that On Ji placed next to her feet.

“They cut them off in the ambulance. It’s easier and faster that trying to get them off normally. There’s a pair of hospital pajamas in the bathroom for you. I’ve got your boots and socks over by the radiator to dry.”

Katara thanked On Ji and made her way to the bathroom to change. The sweatpants and long sleeve were thin and gray, and both were a size too large. Her boots were still soaked all the way through and the socks weren’t in much better condition. She flicked her wrist to gather all the water trapped inside and sent it to the drain in the sink.

Even the tiny amount of bending wore her out and she knew it would be a while before she was back to her full strength. She was sitting in Zuko’s chair pulling on her boots when he walked back in. “All good to go?”

Katara nodded and stood up, stretching lightly onto her toes. “Flattering outfit, huh? I look like an escaped convict.”

Zuko scanned her once from head to toe. He didn’t linger, but his gaze still made Katara feel warm all over. “I suppose stripes would make it worse.” He gestured for her to follow him and led her toward a back staircase. He kept a close eye on her as they descended to make sure the pace wasn’t too much.

“My Uncle has a spare set of keys to my car and sent someone to pick it up while he headed here. He had it parked in some dark corner of the garage away from everything else to avoid being seen. He’s good about keeping things out of the spotlight when he wants to.” Zuko opened the door to the garage.

As soon as the stepped out of the stairwell, the cold winter air hit Katara. She wrapped her arms around her chest and hurried after Zuko. He was a good bit taller than her and moved quickly on those long legs.

The lights of the car flickered as he unlocked it. It was a much nicer car than Katara drove, but not flashy. She happily threw herself in the passenger seat, pleased to be out of the wind. The inside was so impeccably clean that Katara wondered if he had come to clean it while she was changing. But then she spied a single balled up receipt in the cup holder and decided that neat and clean made sense for Zuko. At least based off the very limited amount of time they had spent together.

He started the car and redirected the air vents to blow directly on her. He dug a coat out from underneath of him and passed it to her.

“Thank you,” Katara whispered, teeth chattering slightly. “They had my boots but not my coat.”

Zuko paused as he pulled out of the parking spot to glance at her. “I um—I may have taken it off of you and left it in the ocean because it was incredibly heavy and I thought we would both drown if I didn’t.”

“That was the right decision.” Katara sighed softly as they exited the parking garage and moved onto a main road. Her car was maybe ten minutes away. “I will miss that parka though. I got it as a graduation present from Sokka and Suki.” 

“Maybe I can ask him to get you a new one for me as that favor you mentioned.”

Katara smiled and leaned back into the seat, using Zuko’s jacket as a blanket. It smelled like smoke and lavender, an unexpected but pleasant combination. “What’s the lavender from?” Katara hadn’t meant to ask, but it was so, so warm and she was not thinking quite straight around this man who had saved her life a few hours earlier and smiled at her like she was the sun. 

Zuko looked surprised and shot her a glance. “I like to add lavender to my tea. It’s something my mother used to do whenever she made me a cup before bed. I guess the habit just stuck.”

Katara nodded and glanced out the window. The snow had stopped entirely, and the sky was a much lighter gray than it had been in days. “I think the sun might try to come out.”

Zuko hummed in agreement. “It’s closer to breaking through the clouds since the storm started, I can feel it.”

“I hope it does.” Katara recognized the emotion in Zuko’s voice easily. “Maybe I’ll get to see the moon tonight too.” She felt him look over at her again, but this time tried to ignore it and the way it made her heart hopeful.

“You know,” Zuko began, eyes flickering to her. “My Uncle is the one who taught me that breathing trick. He invented it I think. He learned it from watching airbenders. And from waterbenders he mastered a technique to redirect lightning. That’s saved my life more than once." Dark humor tinged the last bit and Katara tried not to think too much about the lessons on the Fire Nation Uprising they’d discussed in school. Most had been rumors that couldn’t be confirmed.

“I guess we’re even then.” When he looked at her with a question in his eyes she explained. “Waterbending saved your life, and today firebending saved mine.”

“Technically, I think airbending saved your life.” Zuko smirked at the frown that crossed her face. “But I don’t know if the semantics matter much. Uncle has a lot of good proverbs about how the elements and bending form a circle and aren’t actually that different from each other.”

“I like the idea of balance. A push and pull, like the tides.” It came out as a whisper, but she couldn’t have said why. Katara used the small bit of energy she had to pull some water from the air in the car and twirled it around in a circle.

The car slowed to a stop and Zuko threw it into park, twisting halfway in his seat to look at her. His head tilted ever so slightly to the left. He raised his hand and snapped gently, sending a tiny lick of flame to collide with her ball of water.

She smiled at him as their opposing elements began to defeat each other in a tiny cloud of steam. 

“Will you text me and let me know you got home safely?” It wasn’t the most subtle way to ask for her number, but Katara wasn’t complaining. 

“Where’s your phone, I’ll text myself.” He handed it over and she sent a message to her own number. Her car and phone were only steps away, but his car was warm and felt full of possibilities.

Katara didn’t want to leave, but it was time. She started to pass Zuko’s jacket back to him, but he pushed it back. “I don’t need it for now and I have extras.”

Katara nodded and slid it over her shoulders. She took a deep breath. “Could I return it to you tomorrow night? Maybe around 8?”

Shock crossed Zuko’s features and for a second Katara panicked. She had never asked a boy out before. But then his face burst into a smile. “Nothing would make me happier.”

“Tomorrow then.” She smiled softly at him and leaned across the center console to kiss his cheek. The skin of his scar was not as rough as she had expected it to be. When she pulled away and reached for the door, Zuko’s hand reached up to the spot her lips had been. Something like wonder shone on his face.

Before she could fully exit the car, Zuko grabbed her arm gently and tugged her back inside. One hand plunged into the mess of hair at the back of her neck and pulled her close. The kiss was soft and lingered and made Katara’s heart beat out of control.

“Tomorrow then,” Zuko agreed, pulling away. Up close, his eyes had flecks of black hidden in the gold. His thumb stroked across her cheekbone as he moved away. Katara shivered, and she wasn’t sure if was from the cold air blowing into the car from the open door or from Zuko.

She smiled and whispered a goodbye, forcing herself out of the car. She retrieved her key from on top of the wheel she had stashed them on and settled into the driver’s seat. The car chugged to life. She picked up her phone. She had 37 missed calls and 42 new text messages. The only one she cared about at the moment was at the top: “This is HRH Prince Zuko”.

Katara pulled her car toward the front of the lot. Zuko waited to follow behind her. She turned right and he turned left. She pressed the power button on her radio to try to settle some of the butterflies in her stomach. _You’re an adult, Katara, get it together._ The radio station was still tuned to the one she had heard announcing the crash that morning.

“All 142 members aboard _The King Kuei_ were rescued and taken to local hospitals. Two remain in critical condition, but reports are optimistic for both to recover. Praise is being heaped on a currently unidentified waterbending Master, and rumors are swirling that Prince Zuko Murakami was also on the beach involved with the rescue efforts…”

**Author's Note:**

> In this modern AU, I imagine that bending is a little more rare than it appears to be in the show—modern medicine is more effective than waterbending healing, electricity is more reliable to light your home than firebending, etc. That’s why most of the passengers and bystanders don’t have bending. Also, yes, I realize the rescue crews were mostly useless, but the intrigue would be lost if a boat swooped in and picked everyone up. No Katara/Zuko hero moments!
> 
> Fun Fact: Li Si is a common Chinese version of John/Jane Doe (according to Wikipedia, so apologies if it is used incorrectly here)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
